Future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald has been extensively linked with a return to the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams, just two years after retiring from the league. The Rams’ blockbuster trade for defensive end Myles Garrett has been highlighted as the domino that could lead to a Donald return.
Aaron Donald Fuels Return Speculation
On Friday, the ‘Clutch Points NFL’ page on Instagram posted about Donald’s potential return, and how he dominant he would be alongside Garrett.
“Imagine trying to draw up a game plan against a defensive front that features the two most destructive pass rushers of this generation. According to Adam Schefter, heavy momentum builds toward Aaron Donald coming out of retirement,” the post read.
“The multi-time Defensive Player of the Year hung up his cleats back in 2023, but the recent trade for Myles Garrett has completely changed the landscape in Los Angeles and reignited his desire to play. The thought of pairing Garrett’s unstoppable edge presence with Donald’s historic interior dominance is turning a hypothetical dream line into a reality.”
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Donald further fuelled the speculation about a return by posting an inquisitive eye emoji on the Instagram post.
Aaron Donald has never teased like this since retirement.. he commented the “👀” emoji on this post on IG posted by (clutchpointsnfl) I don’t wanna say it’s official.. but I would call it official for all this teasing from Mr. “The cup is full” seems like the cup is not full.. 👀 pic.twitter.com/IZVQuT0EKd
— Rams Tapes 🇵🇷 (@RamsTapes) July 4, 2026
Coach Sean McVay’s team already has the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and one of the best edge defenders of all time in Garrett, and pairing him with one of the best interior defenders of all time would make for a tantalizing prospect for Rams fans.
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Garrett is a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and has gotten seven Pro Bowl nods and five first-team All-Pro selections in his storied career. While playing for the Cleveland Browns last season, he set the NFL single-season sack record (23) to write himself into the NFL history books.
Donald was selected No. 13 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams, and he won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and earned a Pro Bowl selection. He established himself as one of the greatest players in his position in the history of the NFL, earning 10 Pro Bowl nods and eight first-team All-Pro honors.
Before retiring in 2024, Donald won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times, a record he still holds alongside J.J. Watt and Lawrence Taylor.
Donald was ranked the best defensive tackle in four of his last five seasons in the league, according to PFN’s DT Impact Metric. Alongside his individual honors, he helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI in 2021.